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Erika Alexander's an Iconic Actor, but Life in Hollywood Ain't No Crystal Stair
This just in: disparities persist in Hollywood. Beyond a lack of inclusion and pay inequities—which are both critical—the ways that we see black women, as well as the breadth of our roles and even the level of imagination assigned to the specific characters we play, can be stifling. “I think that black men [in Hollywood]…
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They've Got the Power, We've Got the Black Ass Game
Some truths are undeniable; among them: that Power on Starz is unmatched. The show is brimming with grit, betrayal and ALL the drama. And for this good-ass television, we offer our gratitude to the TV gods. Namastay-black. Alas, all good things must come to an end. In honor of six successful seasons, The Root took…
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How American Slavery Helped Create Modern-Day Policing
This year marks the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in what we now know as Virginia. Their voyage was, no doubt, filled with unspeakable horror and death, and their presence would forever change the United States—especially when examining the way this country approaches policing. When enslaved Africans arrived in America,…
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Meek Mill Weighs in on Stifling Criminal Justice System Ahead of Amazon's Free Meek Documentary
Meek Mill has been stuck in the criminal justice system for practically his entire adult life. First arrested at 19 for gun- and drug-related charges, Robert Rihmeek Williams—like many other black and brown people—has found himself on a merry-go-round, in and out of the criminal justice system. Now the 32-year-old is an internationally known rapper…
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Hell or High Water: How Racism Kept Black America From Swimming
Now, we’ve all heard the stereotype that black folks can’t swim. But, unfortunately, that cliché is based in haunting truths. The numbers speak for themselves: 64 percent of black kids have no or low swimming ability, versus 45 percent of Latinx children and 40 percent of white kids. A 2014 study also found that black…
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Natasha Rothwell’s Tweets to Donald Trump Are Petty and Perfect
Natasha Rothwell does Twitter phenomenally well. Aside from being the face of one of our favorite memes on Twitter, the Insecure star has tweeted (nearly every day since the 2016 election) that Trump is trash. Do y’all realize the level of commitment it takes to notify 45 (and the world), on the daily that he…
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City Girls' Yung Miami is Here to Coach You to the Hot Girl Summer Championship
ICYMI: Hot girl summer is on and popping. We’ve passed the Fourth of July holiday, and hot girls are up 100 to 0 at the half. We out here winning, y’all. Team fuckboi tried to co-opt the hot girl summer in an attempt to put a few measly points on the board, but the hot…
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Observations on the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater From a Dancing Non-Dancer
I’ve always been a lover of dance. I am an avid consumer of dance, and an active participant in dance culture—I be dancing, y’all. To know me is to know that at one point or another, you will have to pull me off of a dance floor. In fact, a friend (who is a professional…
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Grabbing Feminism by the Mic: This Is How Women in Hip-Hop Are Making a Lane of Their Own
The terms “hip-hop” and “feminism” might seem like oil and water. After all, the culture of misogyny and straight disrespect of women throughout hip-hop culture could lead one to think otherwise. So can a feminist politic exist in a hyper-misogynistic space? The answer: It’s complicated. “Hip-hop feminism” was coined by author and scholar Joan Morgan…
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Shaft Is Still Black AF, So We Played 'Black Ass Game'
The Shaft franchise been black AF. After all, the first Shaft film was released in 1971, starring Richard Roundtree during the era of blaxploitation films. John Shaft “looked out for his brother man” and wore a huge ‘fro, turtleneck and a long leather jacket (a la the Black Panthers) while doing so. For any film…
